Beyonce album hits No.1
Just days after dropping the bombshell on her shocked fans, Beyonce's self-titled surprise album has already skyrocketed to No.1 on the charts.
The star, pictured below, released the album exclusively to iTunes on Friday with no promotion or warning, claiming she was "bored" with how she had previously sent out her four prior records.
"I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans," Beyonce said in a statement about the album's surprise drop.
"There's so much that gets between the music, the artist and the fans. I felt like I didn't want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it's ready and from me to my fans."
The unconventional release created a buzz on social media, with Twitter recording 1.2 million tweets about the album in the first 12 hours of its debut and stars like Katy Perry, Lily Allen and Snoop Dogg praising the method of delivery. Dubbed a "visual album" with 14 songs and 17 videos, Beyonce has reportedly already hit No.1 in more than 90 countries, including Australia, where it toppled Michael Buble's Christmas from prime position.
The Halo singer's husband, Jay Z, and daughter, Blue Ivy, both feature on the album, along with Frank Ocean and Drake, while Justin Timberlake also co-wrote two tracks.
